Customer Reviews

Night Train

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jimmy Forrest came up in Saint Louis playing small clubs at about the same time Miles Davis started his career. While Davis' career soon took a turn to the avant-garde, Forrest remained rooted in the big band and rhythm tradition. After he created the famous saxophone riff, he became known as Jimmy "Night Train" Forrest and made a career out of repeating it. Yes, the riff is basically a cop from Ellington, but Art is not above theft. Night Train is one of the signature sounds of the 1950's & 60's. Sonny Liston used to work out to it before his fights. There have been many versions of this song since Forrest, most notably, perhaps, James Brown's funky recast, but none quite equal the sweet, fresh vibrato of the original. Its like cold beer and hot beans n' rice on a summer day.

"Night Train" is one of those tunes that you could just listen to forever and not get tired of it. The other cuts, in my opinion, are not nearly as strong as the title, hence the three stars("Night Train" by itself rates off the charts). Personally, I think no other version of "Night Train" even touches this one, even James Brown's(which is saying something).

I have listened to Jazz since I was a teen and have heard many of the tunes on Night Train as the background for many of the Jazz DJ's but never owned the piece. This CD took me back to those times when I discovered many of the standards. The music on this CD is timeless!

this cd is great for jazz blues in the early 50's it has the original version of night train that james brown did in the 70's a must have for oldies but goodies lovers or who want to go back to like zoot swing time.

When I was a teenager, Bill "Rascal" McCaskill was a famous Texas Gulf Coast DJ, on a station in Baytown, near Houston, KREL-AM.

The program title was "Night Train," and he used Jimmy Forrest's version for the program's theme song.

I bought this album solely for that cut. The Buddy Morrow version is far superior, and I didn't become a fan of Forrest's other work.